Garter snake, (genus Thamnophis), any of more than a dozen species of nonvenomous snakes having a striped pattern suggesting a garter: typically, one or three longitudinal yellow to red stripes, between which are checkered blotches. Forms in which the stripes are obscure or lacking are often called

Funnel weaver, any of certain members of the spider family Agelenidae (order Araneida). Agelenids are notable for their funnel-shaped webs; they are a common group with many species that are distributed worldwide. The webs are built in the grass, under boards and rocks, and among debris. Agelena

Caoshu, (Chinese: “draft script,” or “grass script”) in Chinese calligraphy, a cursive variant of the standard Chinese scripts lishu and kaishu and their semicursive derivative xingshu. The script developed during the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220), and it had its period of greatest growth during the

Grass tree, (genus Xanthorrhoea), genus of about 30 species of slow-growing perennial plants (family Asphodelaceae) endemic to Australia. Certain species are also known as grass gums because of the red or yellow gumlike resins that exude from the base of old leaves. The resins are used for varnish.

pyralid moth: …the sugarcane borer, and the grass webworm. Adults of these species are called snout moths because their larvae are characterized by elongated snoutlike mouthparts. The larval stage of the European corn borer (Pyrausta nubilalis; also called Ostrinia nubilalis) is the most important insect pest of maize throughout the world. It…

Günter Grass, German poet, novelist, playwright, sculptor, and printmaker who, with his extraordinary first novel Die Blechtrommel (1959; The Tin Drum), became the literary spokesman for the German generation that grew up in the Nazi era and survived the war. In 1999 he was awarded the Nobel Prize

Günter Grass, German poet, novelist, playwright, sculptor, and printmaker who, with his extraordinary first novel Die Blechtrommel (1959; The Tin Drum), became the literary spokesman for the German generation that grew up in the Nazi era and survived the war. In 1999 he was awarded the Nobel Prize

Green algae, members of the division Chlorophyta, comprising between 9,000 and 12,000 species. The photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls a and b, carotene, and xanthophyll) are in the same proportions as those in higher plants. The typical green algal cell, which can be motile or nonmotile, has a

arrowhead: The grass-leaved arrowhead (S. graminea) is found throughout eastern North America. S. sagittifolia, which grows in most of Europe, is cultivated in China for its edible tubers. A number of arrowhead species were introduced as ornamentals to Australia. They are listed as invasive species, including S.…

Ernest B. Schoedsack: Early life and work: Their first natural drama was Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life (1925), which chronicled the annual migration of the Bakhtyārī people of western Persia (now Iran). While Cooper toured the United States with Grass, Schoedsack joined explorer William Beebe’s 1925 expedition to the Galapagos Islands as a cameraman. He met…

Grasse, town, Alpes-Maritimes département, Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur région, southeastern France. It lies northwest of Cannes and west-southwest of Nice. Situated at an elevation of 1,100–1,250 feet (330–380 metres) on a slope in a natural amphitheatre in the lower Alps, it is a resort that is

François-Joseph-Paul, count de Grasse, French naval commander who engaged British forces during the American Revolution (1775–83). De Grasse took service in 1734 on the galleys of the Knights of Malta, and in 1740 he entered the French service. Shortly after France and America joined forces in the

Elon Musk: PayPal and SpaceX: Beginning in 2012, SpaceX’s Grasshopper rocket made several short flights to test such technology. In addition to being CEO of SpaceX, Musk was also chief designer in building the Falcon rockets, Dragon, and Grasshopper.

Grasshopper, any of a group of jumping insects (order Orthoptera) that are found in a variety of habitats. Grasshoppers occur in greatest numbers in lowland tropical forests, semiarid regions, and grasslands. They range in colour from green to olive or brown and may have yellow or red markings. The

Chapultepec, (Nahuatl: “Hill of the Grasshopper”) rocky hill about 200 feet (60 metres) high on the western edge of Mexico City that has long played a prominent role in the history of Mexico. The Aztecs fortified the hill but were expelled by neighbouring peoples; after their consolidation of power

Grasshopper mouse, (genus Onychomys), any of three species of terrestrial, nocturnal, insectivorous and carnivorous mice that are physiologically adapted to semiarid and arid habitats in the open country of western North America. The northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster) lives in

malaria: Malaria through history: …and in 1898, in Rome, Giovanni Grassi and his colleagues discovered a parasite of human malaria in an Anopheles mosquito. A bitter controversy that ensued between Ross and Grassi and their respective partisans over priority of discovery was one of the most vitriolic public quarrels in modern science. (Ross was…

Galileo: Galileo’s Copernicanism: After several exchanges, mainly with Orazio Grassi (1583–1654), a professor of mathematics at the Collegio Romano, he finally entered the argument under his own name. Il saggiatore (The Assayer), published in 1623, was a brilliant polemic on physical reality and an exposition of the new scientific method. Galileo here discussed…

Grassland, area in which the vegetation is dominated by a nearly continuous cover of grasses. Grasslands occur in environments conducive to the growth of this plant cover but not to that of taller plants, particularly trees and shrubs. The factors preventing establishment of such taller, woody

Chuck Grassley, American politician who was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 1980 and began representing Iowa in that body the following year. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1975–81). Grassley was born in a small town in north-central Iowa and was raised on

Chuck Grassley, American politician who was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Senate in 1980 and began representing Iowa in that body the following year. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1975–81). Grassley was born in a small town in north-central Iowa and was raised on

Hermann Günther Grassmann: …an algebraic manifold, called the Grassmannian. Somewhat similar ideas were propounded independently and contemporaneously by Sir William R. Hamilton of Great Britain in his quaternion theory; indeed, Grassmann, Hamilton, and the British mathematician George Boole were the pioneers in the field of modern algebra. Although Grassmann’s methods were only slowly…

Hermann Günther Grassmann, German mathematician chiefly remembered for his development of a general calculus of vectors in Die lineale Ausdehnungslehre, ein neuer Zweig der Mathematik (1844; “The Theory of Linear Extension, a New Branch of Mathematics”). Grassmann taught at the Gymnasium in Stettin

Ella Grasso, American public official, the first woman elected to a U.S. state governorship in her own right. Grasso graduated from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, with honours in 1940 and took an M.A. in 1942. During World War II she served as assistant director of research for

Grassroots, type of movement or campaign that attempts to mobilize individuals to take some action to influence an outcome, often of a political nature. In practice, grassroots efforts typically come in two types: (1) efforts to mobilize individuals either to turn out to vote or to vote a certain

veld: Plant life: Grassveld is the characteristic vegetation of the South African Highveld, dominated by species of red grass. Where the red grass grows on well-drained, fertile soils subject to comparatively light rainfall, it tends to be sweeter (and is consequently called sweetveld) than elsewhere, where it is…

Campanulaceae: Edraianthus, the grassy bellflower genus from the Balkans, contains 10 low, grassy-leaved perennials, mostly bearing clustered, upward-facing heads of blue or purplish upright bells. E. pumilo, however, bears its amethyst-blue flowers one to a short stem but forms a low mound of many flowers.

iron processing: Pelletizing: This was followed by the grate-kiln and the traveling grate, which together account for more than 90 percent of world pellet output. In shaft furnaces the charge moves down by gravity and is heated by a counterflow of hot combustion gases, but the grate-kiln system combines a horizontal traveling grate…

Grateful Dead, American rock band that was the incarnation of the improvisational psychedelic music that flowered in and around San Francisco in the mid-1960s. Grateful Dead was one of the most successful touring bands in rock history despite having had virtually no radio hits. The original members

Grateful dead, in folktales of many cultures, the spirit of a deceased person who bestows benefits on the one responsible for his burial. In the prototypical story, the protagonist is a traveler who encounters the corpse of a debtor, to whom the honour of proper burial has been denied. After the

Grateful dead, in folktales of many cultures, the spirit of a deceased person who bestows benefits on the one responsible for his burial. In the prototypical story, the protagonist is a traveler who encounters the corpse of a debtor, to whom the honour of proper burial has been denied. After the

coin: Anglo-Saxon penny coinages: The Council of Grateley under Athelstan had enacted that each permitted mint was to have but one moneyer, with specified exceptions; London, for example, had eight. By the time of Ethelred II more than 70 mints were at work; London, Winchester, Lincoln, and York were the…

Dieudonné Dolomieu, French geologist and mineralogist after whom the mineral dolomite was named. A member of the order of Malta since infancy, he was sentenced to death in his 19th year for killing a brother knight in a duel but was pardoned. He continued to study natural sciences, which he had

Grace, in Greek religion, one of a group of goddesses of fertility. The name refers to the “pleasing” or “charming” appearance of a fertile field or garden. The number of Graces varied in different legends, but usually there were three: Aglaia (Brightness), Euphrosyne (Joyfulness), and Thalia

Gratian, Roman emperor from 367 to 383. During part of his reign he shared this office with his father, Valentinian I (reigned 364–375), and his uncle Valens (reigned 364–378). By proclaiming the eight-year-old Gratian as Augustus (coruler), his father sought to assure a peaceful succession to

Gratian, Italian monk who was the father of the study of canon law. His writing and teaching initiated canon law as a new branch of learning distinct from theology. Little is known of his life. A Benedictine monk, Gratian became lecturer (magister) at the Monastery of SS. Felix and Nabor, B

Gratian’s Decretum, collection of nearly 3,800 texts touching on all areas of church discipline and regulation compiled by the Benedictine monk Gratian about 1140. It soon became the basic text on which the masters of canon law lectured and commented in the universities. The work is not just a

Dottore, (Italian: “Doctor”) stock character of the Italian theatrical form known as the commedia dell’arte, who was a loquacious caricature of pedantic learning. The Dottore’s professional affiliation was imprecise. He was at times a legal scholar, ready with advice for any occasion, whose bungled

Gratian, Italian monk who was the father of the study of canon law. His writing and teaching initiated canon law as a new branch of learning distinct from theology. Little is known of his life. A Benedictine monk, Gratian became lecturer (magister) at the Monastery of SS. Felix and Nabor, B

panegyric: …Roman eulogistic speech was the gratiarum actio (“thanksgiving”), delivered by a successful candidate for public office. The XII Panegyrici Latini, an ancient collection of these speeches, includes the gratiarum actio delivered by Pliny the Younger when he was nominated consul by the emperor Trajan in ad 100. Late Roman writers…

drawing: Mechanical devices: For perspectively correct rendition, the graticulate frame, marked off in squares to facilitate proportionate enlargement or reduction, allowed the object to be drawn to be viewed in line with a screen on the drawing surface. Fixed points can be marked with relative ease on the resultant system of coordinates. For…

drawing: Mechanical devices: For perspectively correct rendition, the graticulate frame, marked off in squares to facilitate proportionate enlargement or reduction, allowed the object to be drawn to be viewed in line with a screen on the drawing surface. Fixed points can be marked with relative ease on the resultant system of coordinates. For…

Delay of gratification, the act of resisting an impulse to take an immediately available reward in the hope of obtaining a more-valued reward in the future. The ability to delay gratification is essential to self-regulation, or self-control. To study the conditions that promote delay of

spectroscopy: Infrared instrumentation: In a grating-monochromator type instrument, the full range of the source-detector combination is scanned by mechanically changing the grating position. In a Fourier-transform instrument, the range available for a single scan is generally limited by the beam-splitter characteristics. The beam splitter functions to divide the source signal…

hyssop: …comprises herbs of the genus Gratiola, belonging to the Plantaginaceae family and native to marshy lands throughout Eurasia and North America. Gratiola officinalis, of Europe, has cylindrical stems and leaves twice the size of those of true hyssop. Its flowers are solitary and located in the axils of the leaves.…

hyssop: Gratiola officinalis, of Europe, has cylindrical stems and leaves twice the size of those of true hyssop. Its flowers are solitary and located in the axils of the leaves. The herb is almost odourless but has a nauseating bitter taste.

automatism: …impression of the grain; “grattage,” scratching the painted surface of the canvas with pointed tools to make it more tactile; and “decalcomania,” pressing liquid paint between two canvases and then pulling the canvases apart to produce ridges and bubbles of pigment. The chance forms created by these techniques were…

Henry Grattan, leader of the Patriot movement that won legislative independence for Ireland in 1782. Later he headed opposition to the union (1800) of England and Ireland. A member of the ruling Anglo-Irish Protestant class, Grattan became a barrister and in the early 1770s joined Henry Flood’s

Plains Wars: Early conflicts: John L. Grattan set out from the post with 30 men and two cannons and, after rashly demanding that a far superior Indian force turn over the suspected culprit, he opened fire. In response, the Lakota killed Grattan and his entire assembly. Most Lakota denied…

affirmative action: …the basis of race (Gratz v. Bollinger). Ten years later, in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, the Supreme Court vacated and remanded an appeals court decision that had rejected a challenge to an affirmative action program modeled on the one approved in Gratz, finding that the lower…

Rebecca Gratz, American philanthropist who was a proponent of Jewish education and a pioneer in establishing charitable institutions. Gratz grew up a celebrated beauty in a home frequently visited by the painters Edward Malbone and Thomas Sully (both of whom made portraits of her) and by Washington

Cuba: The Republic of Cuba: …and himself 1940–44 and 1952–59), Ramón Grau San Martín (1944–48), and Carlos Prío Socarrás (1948–52). Machado was one of the more notorious presidents, holding power through manipulation, troops, and assassins. The U.S. government helped leftist groups overthrow him in the so-called Revolution of 1933, which brought Batista to power. Batista,…

Enrique Grau, Colombian artist (born Dec. 18, 1920, Panama City, Pan.—died April 1, 2004, Bogotá, Colom.), depicted Afro-Colombian and Indian figures in a style that helped define contemporary art in Colombia. He trained at the Art Students League in New York City and studied advanced techniques i

Shirley Ann Grau, American novelist and short-story writer noted for her examinations of evil and isolation among American Southerners, both black and white. Grau’s first book, The Black Prince, and Other Stories (1955), had considerable success. Her first novel, The Hard Blue Sky (1958), concerns

bog body: …puzzled over the death of Grauballe Man, found in Denmark—his throat was cut and his head smashed in, suggesting a ritual of several stages—but it is now known that the damage to his skull was caused by the weight of the peat around him.

Graubünden, largest and most easterly canton of Switzerland; it has an area of 2,743 square miles (7,105 square km), of which two-thirds is classed as productive (forests covering one-fifth of the total). The entire canton is mountainous, containing peaks and glaciers of the Tödi (11,857 feet

Grudziądz, city, Kujawsko-Pomorskie województwo (province), north-central Poland, on the lower Vistula River. Founded in the 10th century as a Polish stronghold against Prussian attack, Grudziądz in the 1230s came under the rule of the Teutonic Knights, who fortified the town and granted it

Friedrich von Holstein, the most influential German foreign policymaker from 1890 to 1909, during the reign of Emperor William II (Kaiser Wilhelm II), after the departure of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. A member of the Foreign Office in Berlin uninterruptedly from 1876, he never became foreign

gorilla: …up of two subspecies: the eastern lowland, or Grauer’s, gorilla (G. beringei graueri), of the lowland rainforests of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), and the mountain gorilla (G. beringei beringei), found in the montane rainforests and bamboo forests of the highland terrain north and east of Lake…

Alan Lomax: …data), which he developed with Victor Grauer, is the most comprehensive study of folk song as yet undertaken. Cantometrics: A Handbook and Training Method appeared in 1976. Lomax also wrote and directed the documentary The Land Where the Blues Began (1985). In 1997 the Alan Lomax Collection debuted on Rounder…

Graubünden: …1395 by the Oberbund, or Grauerbund (“Gray League”) of the upper Rhine valley. The use of the word gray (German grau, French gris, Romansh grisch) in this context derived from the homespun gray cloth worn by the men and gave rise to the name of the Grisons, or Graubünden (“Gray…

Hollywood: …Park (also a concert venue), Mann’s (formerly Grauman’s) Chinese Theatre (with footprints and handprints of many stars in its concrete forecourt), and the Hollywood Wax Museum (with numerous wax figures of celebrities). The Hollywood Walk of Fame pays tribute to many celebrities of the entertainment industry. The most visible symbol…

Mathilde Marchesi de Castrone, operatic soprano whose teaching transmitted the 18th-century bel canto style of singing to the 20th century. She studied in Paris under Manuel García, the foremost teacher of singing of the 19th century, and made her debut as a singer in 1849. In 1854 she began

Carl Heinrich Graun, German composer of operas and sacred music, known especially for his Passion oratorio Der Tod Jesu. Graun was a chorister in Dresden, where as a youth he composed several cantatas for church services and worked under the Neapolitan-opera composer Antonio Lotti. In 1725 he made

symphony: The early Classical period: …son of Johann Sebastian Bach), Johann Gottlieb Graun, and other musicians reared in a tradition of rigorous counterpoint and formal conservatism. Retaining three-movement format and avoiding strongly contrasting themes, they maintained contrapuntal interplay in the prevailingly homophonic texture. Even more than the Mannheimers, they concerned themselves with melodic development and…

Carl Heinrich Graun, German composer of operas and sacred music, known especially for his Passion oratorio Der Tod Jesu. Graun was a chorister in Dresden, where as a youth he composed several cantatas for church services and worked under the Neapolitan-opera composer Antonio Lotti. In 1725 he made

John Graunt, English statistician, generally considered to be the founder of the science of demography, the statistical study of human populations. His analysis of the vital statistics of the London populace influenced the pioneer demographic work of his friend Sir William Petty and, even more

climate: Hail: The first is soft hail, or snow pellets, which are white opaque rounded or conical pellets as large as 6 mm (0.2 inch) in diameter. They are composed of small cloud droplets frozen together, have a low density, and are readily crushed.

Christoph Graupner, one of the principal German composers of the period of Bach and Telemann. Graupner studied at the Thomasschule in Leipzig. In 1706, because of a threat of Swedish invasion, he sought refuge at Hamburg, where he was harpsichordist at the opera under R. Keiser. About 1710 he

Graustark, romantic quasi-historical novel subtitled The Story of a Love Behind a Throne, by George Barr McCutcheon, first published in 1901. Modeled on Anthony Hope’s popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), Graustark is set in the mythical middle-European kingdom of Graustark and is suffused

Graustark, romantic quasi-historical novel subtitled The Story of a Love Behind a Throne, by George Barr McCutcheon, first published in 1901. Modeled on Anthony Hope’s popular novel The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), Graustark is set in the mythical middle-European kingdom of Graustark and is suffused

Argentina: Patagonia: …type of rounded gravel called grava patagónica lies on level landforms, including isolated mesas. Glacial ice in the past extended beyond the Andes only in the extreme south, where there are now large moraines.

John Gotti: …assassinated in a shooting that Salvatore Gravano (“Sammy the Bull”), a Gotti associate, later claimed Gotti witnessed from a parked car. In 1986 Gotti emerged as the leader of the Gambino crime family.

Shaft graves, late Bronze Age (c. 1600–1450 bc) burial sites from the era in which the Greek mainland came under the cultural influence of Crete. The graves were those of royal or leading Greek families, unplundered and undisturbed until found by modern archaeologists at Mycenae. The graves, c

history of Europe: Prestige and status: …some individuals having more elaborate grave goods than others. This suggests that in this type of community there would be leading families, marked by their grave goods, and that wealth and status would tend to be inherited through the male line (since male children had richer grave goods than female…

trap: …a long history is the grave trap, a large, rectangular opening in the centre of the stage floor. It is named for its most famous use, as an open grave in the graveyard scene from Hamlet. Most traps and their mechanisms are designed so that they can be taken apart…

Gravel, aggregate of more or less rounded rock fragments coarser than sand (i.e., more than 2 mm [0.08 inch] in diameter). Gravel beds in some places contain accumulations of heavy metallic ore minerals, such as cassiterite (a major source of tin), or native metals, such as gold, in nuggets or

Mike Gravel, American politician, who served as a member of the U.S. Senate (1969–81) and who sought the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954, Gravel attended Columbia University in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree in 1956. He held

Mike Gravel, American politician, who served as a member of the U.S. Senate (1969–81) and who sought the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954, Gravel attended Columbia University in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree in 1956. He held

Blondin, French tightrope walker and acrobat who owed his celebrity and fortune to his feat of crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope 1,100 feet (335 m) long, 160 feet above the water. When he was five years old he was sent to the École de Gymnase at Lyon, and after six months’ training as an a

Gravelines, seaport town in the arrondissement of Dunkirk, Nord département, Hauts-de-France région, northern France. It is situated midway between Dunkirk and Calais, near the mouth of the Aa River and adjacent to the western port and industrial zone of Dunkirk. The canalization of the Aa by the

Gravelines, seaport town in the arrondissement of Dunkirk, Nord département, Hauts-de-France région, northern France. It is situated midway between Dunkirk and Calais, near the mouth of the Aa River and adjacent to the western port and industrial zone of Dunkirk. The canalization of the Aa by the

Joseph Highmore: …such as Philippe Mercier and Hubert Gravelot, who were established in London during the 1730s and 1740s. But their influence is traceable less in Highmore’s portraits than in his genre illustrations. In 1744 he painted a series of 12 illustrations for Samuel Richardson’s novel Pamela, which suggest comparison with William…

Battles of Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte, (Aug. 16–18, 1870), two major engagements of the Franco-German War in which the 140,000-man French Army of the Rhine, under Marshal Achille-François Bazaine, failed to break through the two German armies under General Helmuth von Moltke and were bottled up in

Thomas William Graveney, British cricketer (born June 16, 1927, Riding Mill, Northumberland, Eng.—died Nov. 3, 2015, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Eng.?), was a stylish right-hand, primarily front-foot, batsman and sometime leg-break bowler and the first cricketer whose career began after World War

The Hague, seat of government of the Netherlands. It is situated on a coastal plain, with the city centre just inland from the North Sea. The Hague is the administrative capital of the country and the home of the court and government, though Amsterdam is the official capital. The city’s name

Burin, engraving tool with a metal shaft that is cut or ground diagonally downward to form a diamond-shaped point at the tip. The angle of the point of a particular tool affects the width and depth of the engraved lines. The shaft of the tool is fixed in a flat handle that can be held close to the

Bordeaux wine: Graves:
The general reputation of Graves is for white wine, rich in taste and not too sweet. Actually Graves produces as much red as white. These balanced, fine-coloured, and rather fruity reds are sometimes rated finer than the whites. Château Haut-Brion was classified first growth…

Graves disease, endocrine disorder that is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (excess secretion of thyroid hormone) and thyrotoxicosis (effects of excess thyroid hormone action in tissue). In Graves disease the excessive secretion of thyroid hormone is accompanied by diffuse enlargement of

hyperthyroidism: Causes of hyperthyroidism: …patients with Graves disease have Graves ophthalmopathy. The defining characteristic of this condition is the protrusion of the eyes (exophthalmos). The eyelids may be retracted upward, making it seem as though the person is constantly staring. The tissues surrounding the eyes may swell, and the eye muscles may not function…

Michael Graves, American architect and designer, one of the principal figures in the postmodernist movement. Graves earned a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from the College of Design at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a master’s degree in architecture (1959) at Harvard University. In 1960 he was

Morris Graves, American painter best known for introspective works that present a mystical view of nature. His style was greatly influenced by the three trips he made to East Asia between 1928 and 1930, and, like Mark Tobey, another painter of the Northwest school, Graves had a deep interest in

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